Vocab 1-30 Flashcards
Absolutism
The acceptance of or belief in absolute principles in political, philosophical, ethical, or theological Matters
Akbar Style
A form of Mughal architecture and art that emerged during the reign of Akbar the Great in India, combining Persian, Indian and Islamic influences
Anglican Church
The Church of England, established by King Henry VIII, combining elements of both Catholicism and Protestantism.
Anne Boleyn
The second wife of King Henry VIII of England and mother of Queen Elizabeth I, whose marriage led to the English Reformation.
Canto
A division or section of a long poem, especially in epic poetry.
Castes
A hereditary social hierarchy in India, associated with Hinduism, that dictates a person’s occupation, social status, and interactions.
Catherine the Great
: An 18th-century empress of Russia known for expanding the empire and modernizing it along Western European lines.
Catholic Refromation
A movement within the Catholic Church to reform itself and counter the Protestant Reformation, including the Council of Trent.
Charles I
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland whose conflicts with Parliament led to the English Civil War and his eventual execution.
Cossacks
Semi-nomadic, military communities in Eastern Europe and Russia, known for their military prowess and independence.
Council of Trent
A major Catholic council (1545–1563) that was part of the Catholic Reformation, addressing doctrinal issues and reforms.
Czar
The title used by Russian emperors before 1917, derived from “Caesar,” symbolizing their authority over the Russian Empire.
Daimyo
Powerful Japanese feudal lords who ruled over large estates and controlled armies of samurai.
Devshrime
A system in the Ottoman Empire where Christian boys were recruited by force to serve in the military or administration.
Diet of Worms
A council held in 1521 where Martin Luther was asked to recant his teachings, leading to his excommunication.
Divine Right
The belief that a ruler’s authority comes directly from God, often used to justify absolute monarchy.
Dyarchy
A form of government where two individuals or bodies share power or rule together, used in some colonial administrations.
Edict of Nantes
A decree issued by Henry IV of France in 1598 granting religious freedom to Protestants (Huguenots), later revoked by Louis XIV.
Emperor Qianlong
A Qing dynasty emperor (1711–1799) who ruled China at its peak of territorial expansion and cultural prosperity.
English Bill of Rights
A 1689 document that limited the powers of the monarchy and established certain civil liberties in England.
Grand Vizier
The highest-ranking political and military official in the Ottoman Empire, serving as the Sultan’s chief advisor.
Gunpowder Empires
Empires such as the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal that relied heavily on firearms and military prowess to expand their territories.
Gutenberg Printing Press
A revolutionary invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century that allowed for mass production of printed materials, leading to widespread literacy and knowledge dissemination.
Harem
A private space within a royal household reserved for women, commonly found in Middle Eastern and some Asian cultures, particularly in the Ottoman Empire.
Henry VIII
King of England (1509–1547) who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England after being denied an annulment from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
Heresy
Belief or opinion that contradicts established religious teachings, especially those of the Catholic Church, often leading to persecution or punishment in historical contexts.
Imam
A leader of prayer in a mosque and a scholar of Islamic theology, often serving as a spiritual guide for Muslims.
Indulgences
In the Catholic Church, these were grants of remission from the punishment of sin, often criticized during the Protestant Reformation for being sold for financial gain.
Infidel
A term historically used to describe a person who does not believe in a particular religion, often used by Christians and Muslims to refer to non-believers or those of other faiths.
Inquisitions
Church-run investigations, particularly by the Catholic Church, aimed at rooting out and punishing heresy. The Spanish Inquisition is one of the most famous examples.
Istanbul
A major city in Turkey, formerly known as Byzantium and later as Constantinople. It was the capital of the Byzantine Empire and then the Ottoman Empire.
Ivan IV
The first tsar of Russia (1547–1584), known for his centralization of power, expansion of Russia, and periods of brutal repression.
Janissaries
Elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan’s household troops and bodyguards. They were originally made up of Christian boys taken from their families in the Balkans, converted to Islam, and trained as soldiers.
Jesuits
Members of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola in 1540. They played a key role in the Counter-Reformation and were missionaries and educators worldwide.
John Calvin
A French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation, known for his role in the development of Calvinism, a major branch of Protestantism.
Jizya
A tax historically levied on non-Muslim subjects living in Islamic states, allowing them to practice their religion in return for protection.
Limited Monarchy
A form of government in which a monarch agrees to share power with a parliament or other governing body, often bound by a constitution
Louis XIV
King of France from 1643 to 1715, known as the “Sun King.” He is famous for his absolute monarchy, centralization of state power, and the construction of the Palace of Versailles.
Macao
A region on the south coast of China that was a Portuguese colony until 1999, when it was handed back to China. It is now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) known for its casinos.
Manchuria
A region in northeastern China that has been historically significant as a homeland for several ethnic groups, including the Manchus, who founded the Qing Dynasty.
Mansabs
Administrative and military ranks in the Mughal Empire, used to classify officials and military officers by rank and salary.
Martin Luther
A German theologian and religious reformer whose Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 sparked the Protestant Reformation.
Mehmet II
An Ottoman sultan known for conquering Constantinople in 1453, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
Millets
In the Ottoman Empire, religious communities that were allowed a degree of self-governance under their own religious leaders, with loyalty to the Ottoman sultan.
Mughal Empire
A Muslim empire that ruled most of India from the early 16th to the mid-19th centuries, known for its cultural achievements, architecture, and administrative innovations.
Ninety-five Theses
A list of propositions written by Martin Luther in 1517 that criticized the Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences and other practices, leading to the Protestant Reformation.
Oliver Cromwell
An English military and political leader who became Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland during the Commonwealth after the English Civil War.
Ottaman Empire
A vast empire founded in 1299, which spanned Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa until its collapse after World War I in 1922.
Peace of Augsburg
A 1555 agreement between Charles V and German princes that allowed each prince to choose either Lutheranism or Catholicism as the official religion of their state within the Holy Roman Empire.
Peace of Westphalia
A series of peace treaties signed in 1648 that ended the Thirty Years’ War in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, marking the beginning of the modern state system.
Peter the great
Tsar of Russia who transformed the country into a major European power. He is known for modernizing Russia, expanding its territory, and reforming its government and military.
Philip II
a King known for ruling over one of the largest empires in the world during his reign. He was a devout Catholic, responsible for the Spanish Armada and wars against Protestantism.
Puritans
A religious group originating in England in the late 16th and 17th centuries, seeking to “purify” the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices. Many Puritans emigrated to America, particularly New England.
Predestination
A theological concept, particularly in Calvinism, that God has already determined who will be saved (the elect) and who will be damned, regardless of individual actions.
Propoganda
Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
Prodestant Refromation
: A major movement in 16th-century Europe that led to the division of the Western Christian Church into Protestantism and what remained as Roman Catholicism, initiated by figures like Martin Luther and John Calvin.
Qing Empire
: The last imperial dynasty of China (1644–1912), known for expanding China’s territory and cultural integration, but also for its downfall due to internal struggles and external pressures such as the Opium Wars.
Rajputs
A warrior class in India, especially prominent in the north and west of the subcontinent. They played a significant role in medieval Indian history, defending their kingdoms from invaders.
Safavid Empire
A major Persian empire (1501–1736) that established Twelver Shi’a Islam as the state religion,
Serfs
Agricultural laborers in feudal Europe who were tied to the land and subject to the will of the landowner
Shah
A title given to the monarch of Iran (formerly Persia) before the revolution in 1979.
Shah Abbas I
One of the most powerful rulers of the Safavid Empire (1588–1629).
Sharia
Islamic law derived from the Quran and the Hadiths (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad)
Shi´ite ( Shia)
A branch of Islam that believes leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s family, particularly his cousin and son-in-law, Ali. It is the dominant sect in countries like Iran and Iraq.
Sikhism
A monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of India in the 15th century by Guru Nanak. Sikhs emphasize devotion to one God, equality, and service to humanity.
Spanish Inqusistion
Established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms. It is infamous for its persecution of Jews, Muslims, and suspected heretics.
Suleiman the Magnificent
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1494–1566) during its golden age.
Sultan
A title for Islamic rulers, particularly in the Ottoman Empire. The sultan held both political and religious authority in the empire.
Taj Mahal
: A famous white marble mausoleum built in Agra, India, by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal
Tamerlane
A 14th-century Turco-Mongol conqueror who established the Timurid Empire in Central Asia.
Tax Farmers
Individuals or groups who were given the right to collect taxes in a specific region, often in exchange for paying the government a fixed sum.
Thirty years War
: A destructive conflict (1618–1648) in Central Europe that began as a religious war between Catholics and Protestants but expanded into a political struggle involving major European powers.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
The founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan (1600–1868), which brought peace and stability to Japan for over 250 years.
Versailles
A grand palace in France, built by King Louis XIV, which became the center of political power and a symbol of absolute monarchy in France until the French Revolution.
Witch Hunts
Periods of mass hysteria and persecution in Europe and North America, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, where people (mostly women) were accused of witchcraft and executed.
